Automatic brick machine



Oct. 21, 1930.

J. P. MARTIN AUTOMATIC BRICK MACHINE Filed March 5, 1927 s sheets-sheet 1 ouoouooaoo 1n u o o COO P In u; 54*

Oct. 21, 1930.

JA P. MARTIN AU'IOMA'IIC BRICK MACHINE Filed March 5, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 .NNWN

O Ct. 2l, 1930. I y J. p, MARTlN 1,779,136

AUTOMATIC BRICK MACHINE Filed March 5, 1927 e sheets-sheet 5 @warmup v@$1.21, 1930. J p MARTlN 1,779,136

AUTOMATIC BRICK MACHINE Filed March 5, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 J. P. MARTIN oct. 21, i930.

AUTOMATIC BRICK MACHINE Filed Maren 5, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ign ' gwuentoz oct. 21, 1930. 1 p MARTlNy 1,779,136

AUTOMATIC BRICK MACHINE Filed March 5, 1927 e sheets-sheet e Patented Oct. 21, 1930 Unirse STATES PATENT-'lorries JAMES P. MARTIN,

OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR r.1. LANCASTER IRON WORKS, INC., OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA `AUfroi/rafrrcBRICK MACHINE Application filed March 5,

of the aforesaid type .by reducing the number `of movable parts and increasing the eiiciency of the machine as a whole.

Another object of the invention is to provide machines of the type' with improved means for regulating the pressure applied to the clay during the forcing thereof from the pug mill th-rough the dies and into the molds,

and by which thepressure. can .be regulated without stopping the machine.

A further` object of the invention is to simplify the pushout mechanism by eliminating many of the commonly employed wearing parts and to provide this mechanism with novel safety 4shearing means to` protect the machine and molds from injury in case of accident or overload.

Another object of the invention resides in the arrangement of a vertical pug mill over the automatic mold feeding mechanism to effect reduction in .power for operating the machine as a whole.

A still further object of the invention lies in the arrangement of the press box outside I the mill to render the parts accessible for replacement or repair and to lessen the tendency to form troublesome air pockets in the clay inherent in machines where the plunger mechanism operates inside the mill.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings f y Fig. 1` is va central vertical longitudinal section through the preferred form ofthe vinvention;

Fig. 1a is a fragmentary sectional detail of an improved connection between the driving crank and push-out mechanism of the invention; i

Fig. 1b is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.a; Fig. 2 is a plan on an enlarged scale of the machine shown in Fig. 1, wththe brick 1927. serian No. 173,028.

dumping mechanism in front of the machine omitted;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, on the same scale as Fig. 2, of the rear end of the machine;

Fig. 3a is a sectional detail of mechanism for taking up slack in one of the sprocket wheels of this machine;

Fig. 3b is a broken elevation of part ofthe framework supporting the mechanism shown in Fig. 3a.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, on the same scale as Figs. 2 and 3, of the front of the machine, parts ofthe brick being cut away and shown in section; j

Fig. 4a is a fragmentary elevation of an improved safety shearing connection for j driving the sander shaft from the main drive;

Fig. 4b is an elevation of the driving sprocket of the said shearing connection;

Fig. 4c is an elevation of the parts of Fig. 4EL shown in a different position;

Fig. 4d is an end elevation of the parte shown in Fig. 4; f

- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of the pressure adjusting mechanism of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a lost motion plunger plate of the adjusting mechanism; 7 is asection on the line 7-7 of Fig.k6.

Fig. 8 is a plan of'said plate; Fig. 9 is aplan'of the gearbox vof said adjusting mechanism; j

Fig. 10 is a plan of the nut through which said gear box is bolted to the pitman link of the press box; and,

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a modification of the machine. As shown in Figs. 1 to 10 ofthe drawing, the main features of the present invention lie above the horizontal runnersl Vand 2, extending rearwardly from the usual standards 3 and 4 which carry the usual mold return and sanding mechanism, suitable cross members and struts being used to connect the runners and standards to form a base on which the other elements of the invention are erected.

Transversely of the runners 1 and 2 there4 is suitably journaled the shaft 5 rotated by main drive shaft 61 through sprocket chain andjgears to be described hereafter. Reduction gears 6 and 7 transmit rotation from d rive shaft to the crank shaft 8 which is also suitably ournaled across the runners 1 and 2. A gear 9 secured to one end of. crank shaft 8 meshes with gear 10 keyed on to the hub l0 of a sprocket wheel. l1 suitably secured rotatably on the stub sha ft 12 which is shouldered at l2 to seat against the side of runner 2. The sprocket rear 11 is used to drive the sprocket gear 13 through the endless sprocket chain 1d 1 eshing with both gears.

rllhe stub shaft 12 adju ya bly mounted on runner 2 to take up slack in chain 14. This is effected by seating; 'he turned down eften` sion 12 of shaft 12 in an arcuate slot 2 liaving its center at the of crank shaft 8. and by clamping; the shaft in adjusted position in said slot by means of a nl. 12 the sci-ev7 threaded end of extension 1 Obviously, since the slot its center at the center o f gear 9, an adjustment of will not throw the gears 9 and l()A out of' mesh with each other.

The sprocket Wheel 13 mounted to rotate freely onthe shaft 15 (see Fig); 1 and 4.-) and is fixedlv secured or cast inten' with a boss 16 on Waich is formed the radial drive menibcr 17. Keyed onto shaft 15 by tie usual key and slot connection 18 is a rad'al z 19 share ri i which is secured to said shaft 15 against movement thereon by means of. a set and lock nut 2l. The arm 19 has an ex. en 22 projectingl laterally therefrom. and to this extension 22 there is secured by bolts and 24 a pair of hardened steel plates 25 and 26.

These plates and 29 extend beyond the end of e1 ension 22 d have pivoted thereto. in the space between them` the rdened steel shear plate 27 by ineens the pivot bolt 23. Each of the plates 25 e d 26 provide-d With Opposed holes 29 and plate 27 is proauie distance from its pivot a The shear plate 27 is adapted to be swuno; about fot and lietvecn said plates and 25 until the holel alines With. ioles 29 with the inner edge of rod 27 in the ath of ro' t' arm 17. ,A shear pin 31 of comparat soft snetal inserted in the alined holes 29 and 30 and serves so transmit ie rotation of arm 17 to arm 1 9 an. ..1 .ce to me shaft 15.

This shearino' constructi serves to connect shaft 1..) driving' meel in case the moujs become jammed in the sander or receiving mechanism. the vw beine' 1uidicieimy hard to hold the nl driven connection with. the drivii g under normal Working# conditions i. to be sheared by plates 25. 2G, and as the molds become ir-.mined in the :j d receiver or some accident occu which would put the machine out o. peration if some such f-gafeojua-rl were not provided.

In the prior art it been customary to e s 's as the holes 29 1. l'cEi 3.51

arm

und

provide for an'uning of the molds by using two similar radial arms.j one fixed to the shaft and the other to the driving` sprocket., having in, aching apertures extendingthrough each arm parallel to the shaft and adapted to receive the shear pin. ln this old form of safety device. when the shear pin broke, and the machine was stopped to remove the obstruction and start up again, it was always necess, ry to brin the driv. arm and iven arm into exact positions in Which their sl ar holes were alined. rlhis nearly alu/'ays necessitates someones setting` down into the sand pit and Working; the shaft by hand until the shear arms match exactly, Which is evidently a time consuming and costly operation. The present invention avoids this loss of time since all that is usually necessary to connect .e 30 alines with hole 9 in which position the plate 27 is obviously in the path t fion of the driving; arm i9 and will mam contact therewith when the machine is started up.

Returning` now to the mold puh out part of the machine, (see l, 2 and v1Y have the crank throws 31 and erf'tendino ra diallv from crank shaft 8 and having;` crank pin 33 connected thereto between their outer ends. The connecting` rod 34 has one end thereof screivthreaded into a bifurcated bracket 35, which in turn is pivoted to a shaft 36 at one end of the mold push out 37. and a loch nut 38 loelrs the rod 34 in adjusted position in the bracket The other end of the rod 84 is slidaby mounted in a sleeve 39 having a lateral extension AIO provided with a semicircular recess l1 to receive the crank pin 33. A plate l2 curved to lit the crank pin 38 is bolted to the extension 10 and cooperates therewith to secure this extension pivotally to pin The connectingrod 341 is provided with an aperture lfladapted to be alined with apertures la and 45 in sleeve 39 and these apertures are each provided 'with steel bushings e6, 47 and L18, respectively, to receive a shear pin 49 to operate rod Sil and push out plate 3'? only until some obstruc tion jams the molds an d causes the shear pin 4:9 to be severed by the steel. bushings.

lt will be obvious that the mechanism just described provides a very simple arrange ment by which the throw of the push out plate can be adjusted, and which serves at the saine time as an additional aut matic safety shearing` device to prevent injury to the molds or mechanisi The next simplification and improvement of the old type of machine occurs at the front end of the machine Where th o elle

the shaft for driving` to driving` sprocket he shear plate 27 around its pivot fl l() lmembers are not swung up to meet the filled molds during the inversion thereof, but

are iixedly secured to the bracket 51, withl the arms 52 carrying-the rollers 53 inclined rearwardly to the horizontal su'lliciently to let the emptied molds slide by gravity on to the chute 54. Only one of these members is shownin the drawing, but persons skilled in the art will readily understand that two of said members positioned on opposite sides naled a shaft 58 havinga spur gear 59 fixed to one end thereof and meshing with a pinion on one end of a counter shaft- 61 journaled in bearing brackets 62 and 63 extending rearwardly of brackets 56 and 57.

A sprocket wheel 64 Jfixed to the other end of drive shaft 61 is driven by an endless sprocket chain 65, which is in turn driven f by Aa sprocket wheel 66 fixed to one end of the drivingl -shaft 5.

Vce g tachably The gearing just described serves as reducing gear to transmit rotation from the drive shaft 61, to the vertical. shaft 66 carrying the horizontal pug knives 67, by means of the bevel pinion 68 fixed to shaft 58 and meshing with the large horizontal bevel gear 69 fixed to the shaft 66, which is journaled in suitable bearings in the casing 55. Awiper 70 fixed to the shaft at its lower end forces material through the discharge opening 71 into the path of the press platen 72 which reciprocates vertically on the outside of cas ing 5,5. A

l'n order to reciprocate the press platen, the'shaft 58 has a pinion 73 fixed to the end opposite the end carrying gear 59, and this gear 7 3v meshes with a gear 74 fixed on the end of a crank shaft 75 journaledv in bearings 76and 77 onv the front of casing The rank pin 78, extending between the throws 79 and 80 has one'end of the pitman 81 pivoted thereto and the other end of this pitman 81 is pivoted to the pin 82 secured by set bolts 83 in arms84 and 85 at' the upper end of a, slide link 86.

The platen 7 2VV slides in a rectangular cas ing 87 formed by front plates 88 and 89 desecured as by bolts 90 and 91 to side extensions of the casing 55. The platen 72 is provided on its lower side with the usual air release valves 90', and is connected to the link 86 so that its throw below the cut olf edge 91 of the discharge aperture 71 may be varied inorder to regulate the pressure rexerted upon the clay being forced through the die 92. A wear plate 93 suitably'bolted to the back of platen 7 2 is adapted to' slide over wear plate 94 fixed in any suitable man ner to the front of the casing 55; and a wear plate 95 on the frontof the platen 72 slides oversimilar plates 96 and y97 'fixed to the inside of plates 88 and 89. r

n The pressure adjustmentof the platen 72 is secured by a lost motion 'connection between the platen and link 86, the details of which connection are shown on an enlarged scale inrFigs. 5 to 11 inclusive. These details include a Vplunger 98 providedat its lower end with lateral extensions 99 and 100 having suitable slots 101 adapted to receive the Shanks of bolts (not shown) for adjustably securing the plunger to the platen.

The plunger 98 has sides 102 and 103 extending from the back 104 to the front of which a weer plate 105 issuitably secured and against which the link 86 and elements secured thereto are adapted to slide. The opposed faces of the sides y102 and 103 are provided with slots 106 into which a plate 107 is adapted to fit and be inserted to provide for vstepped adjustment of the throw of the laten.

The link 86 is mounted toslide against the wear plate and between the sides 102 and 103 and is slidably Secured to said plunger 98 by means of trunnions 108 and 109r ex'- tending laterally from link 86 into the slots 110 and 111, respectively, formed in said sides 102 and 103. As shown clearly in Fig. 5 the v trunnions 108 vand 109 are fixed to the link 86 by Cotter keys 112 wedged into cooperating slots formed in each trunnion and the bores 113 in which reduced ends 114 of said trunnions are seated. Y

Bolted to the bottom end of link 86 is a gear box formedby a nut 115 and a casing 116 in which is av bevel gear 117 bored centrally to permit a screwthreaded rod 118 to slide therethrough yand to be rotated as it slides by the engagement of a key 119 fixed t0 said gear with a slot 120 extending lengthwise of said screw, which Ais screwthreadedly connected with the nut 115 only. f

A bevel pinion 121, fixed to shaft 122 ex tending through the bearing 123 of the gear box, serves to rotate the gear 117 in order to rotate and adjust the rod 118in its nut 115. This shaft 122 may be rotated either by the hand wheel 124 secured directly to the end of shaft 122 asshown in Fig.- 11; or it may be rotated by means of a hand wheel. 125 lixed on one end of a shaft 126 suitably jonrnaled lia) 131 is secured to thc front edges of plunger 98, sides 102 and 103 by bolts 139.. ln order to guide the plunger 98 rectilinearly on the front of casing 55 the plunger is provided at its rear with dovetail slides 133, the rear faces of which are held in slidable contact with a plate 134 having` upturned flanges 135 bolted to flanges 136 by bolts 137. To hold the plunger properly against plate 134 and to take up wear, a pair of plates 138 are mounted on the plate 134 to slide toward and from the plunger 98 and have their opposite inner edges beveled to engage the inclined des of slides 133. Bolts 139 passing through slots 140 in plates 138 adjust the plates 138 relative to plate 134 to obtain the desired sliding contact with slides 133 and lateral ustment is effected by means of the screws 141 threaded through lugs 149, proj ecting` from plate 134 and engaging lugs 143 projecting from the face of each plate 138, lock nuts 144- being used on said screws 141 to lock them in their desired positions of adjustment.

The lower end of screw 118 has bumper plate 145 fixed thereto to engage the plate 107 in the downward motion of the link 86, and obviously is the only means for imparting downward motion to the plunger and the platen. fixed thereto.

As shown in Figure 11, the screw 118 is in its limit of downward adjustment so that there is no lost motion between the plunger 98 and link 86 and gearing carried thereby. This means that the platen is in its position of greatest compression and will reciprocate solidly with the link 86 and with the trunnions 108 and 109 in constant engagement with the tops of the slots 110 and 111.

The lift of the platen by the trunnions 108 and 109 is always the same; but its throw or downward displacement will evidently depend upon the distance through which the foot 145 may be adjusted from the plate 10i" when the plunger is in its lowest position shown in Fig. 11. For example, if the foot 145 be raised, say, two inches above the plate 107 While the platen 72 is in its lo vest position as shown in 11, the downward' stroke of the platen thereafter will be two inches less, with the consequent and corresponding` diminution in pressure exerted by the platen on the mud being forced through the die 92 into the molds. Obviously, when the plunger is pulled up by the trunnions 108 and 109, the mud forced under the platen by the pu mill wiper will hold the platen raised in its highest position until the foot 145 strikes the plate 107, and in the example just given, this cannot occur until the trunnions 108 and 109, link 86 and screw 118 have slid two inches downwardly in the plunger without movin either the plunger or the platen fixed tiicreto.

The modification shown in Fig. 11 is identical, so far as the plunger adjustment features are lconcerned, with that shown in Fig.

1. In Fig. 11, however, the pug mill is of the horizontal type. The details of this pug mill constitute no part of the present invention and are illustrated in part merely to show the adaptation thereof to my outside press mechanism in which my invention mainly resides.

The vertical form of pug mill is preferred for use with the outside press and automatic mold operating mechanism, because the gravity feed of clay to the press obviously consumes less power in its operationthan the horizontal type.

This vertical form is preferred also because its use improves the quality of the product of the machine by reducing lamination and air pockets in the mixture immediately before its molding into bricks.

l claim:

1. In a bick machine, casing' having a die at one end, a press platen reciprocable in said casing toward and from said die, means for forcing plastic material into said casing between said die and platen, means for reciprocating said platen including a link havin g a lost-motion connection with said platen and having parts adjustable to vary the pressure of said platen on material forced thereby through said die.

2. ln a brick machine, a casing open at one end and having an aperture through one side,

a platen reciprocable in said casing toward and from said end; a support for a mold below said end; means for forcing plastic material through said aperture into said casing' and in the path of said platen; mechanism for reciprocating said platen and including a plunger lined to said platen, a link slidable in said plunger, and means for varying the distance of slide between said link and plunger.

3. In a brick machine, a pug mill having a pug shaft rotatable about a vertical aXis therein and having a discharge aperture at the lower end thereof, acasing on the outside of said mill opposite said aperture, a press platen reciprocable in said casing a plunger secured to said platen, a link slidable on said mill and having an adjustable lostmotion connection with said plunger and gearing carried by said link to vary the length of lost motion slide between said link and plunger.

4. ln a brick machine, a casing, a platen slidably mounted on said casing, means connected to said platen to reciprocate it on said casing, said means including a plunger having a foot fixed to said platen, a back having dovetail wings extending from each side thereof, parallel walls ext-ending perpendicularly from one face thereof, and having slots therethrough, a link slidable between said walls and having pins projecting laterally therefrom into said slots, a contact plate seated between said walls, a screw threaded into said link and having a head adapted to seat on said plate, and means for adjusting said screw to vary the distance between the head thereof and said contact yplate when plunger is supported by engagement of said pins with the upper ends of said slots.

5. A brick machine including a pug mill, a press platen mounted to reciprocate vertically on the outside of said mill, a hand wheel on the side of said mill, and means connecting said wheel to said platen to varythe pressure thereof on material extruded from said mill into the path of said platen.

` 6. A brick machine including apug mill,

Va platen reciprocable onthe outside thereof, means to reciprocate said platen and including parts having a relative sliding lostmotion movement, adjustable means to limit the distance of slide between said parts, and a hand wheel supported on said mill for operating said adjustable means.

7. A brick machine including a pug mill,

a platen reciprocable on the outside thereof, 1

means to reciprocate said platen including parts having a relative sliding lost-motion movement, a screw adjusting connection to one of said parts to limit the lost motion slide of the other part relative thereto, gearing for rotating said screw.

8. A brick machine including a pug mill,

a platen reciprocable on the outside thereof, means'to reciprocate said platen including partshaving a lrelative sliding lost-motion movement, a screw adjustably connected to one of said parts to limit the lost-motion slide of the other part relative thereto, a gear slidably and non-rotatably connected to said screw, and means for rotating said gear. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES P. MARTIN. 

